October 2016 archive

1720: London

This map of the West End of London is part of Henry Overton’s complete map of London and its suburbs, published in 1720. The title and publisher’s imprint appear in cartouche in the centre, with fares of hackney coaches and an overall key at bottom left. The compass rose appears in the river, with parish …

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The execution of Charles I

King Charles’s decapitation was scheduled for Tuesday, 30 January 1649. Two of his children remained in England under the control of the Parliamentarians: Elizabeth and Henry. They were permitted to visit him on 29 January, and he bid them a tearful farewell. The following morning, he called for two shirts to prevent the cold weather …

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